First industrialization of anhydrous phthalic acid in Japan
Founded
Set up Suita Factory
Renamed to Japan Catalyst Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
Established Tokyo Branch (now Tokyo Headquarters)
Listed on the Osaka Stock Exchange
Mass production of anhydrous malonic acid via benzoyl oxidation achieved
First industrialization of unsaturated polyester resin in Japan using in-house technology
Commenced production of fumaric acid
Set up Amagasaki Factory
Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Set up Kawasaki Factory (now Kawasaki Manufacturing Chidori Factory)
First industrialization of ethylene oxidation in Japan using in-house technology
Set up Himeji Factory (now Himeji Manufacturing Plant)
Received the Odaguchi Memorial Award for the industrialization of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol
Relocated headquarters to Takara Bridge, Higashi-ku (now Chuo-ku), Osaka City
Commenced production of ethanolamine
Received the Technical Award from the Society of Organic Synthetic Chemistry for establishing manufacturing technology of phthalonitrile and benzonitrile via the amoxydation method
Opened the Kawasaki No.2 Plant (now Kawasaki Manufacturing Facility, Ujishima Plant)
Commenced production of ethyleneimine
Joint venture with Schenectady Chemicals, USA
First industrialization of acrylic acid and acrylic acid esters in Japan via propylene oxidation
Closed Amagasaki Factory
Commenced production of secondary alcohol ethoxylates
Awarded the Ogauchi Memorial Production Award for acrylic acid and acrylic acid ester manufacturing technology
Received the Minister of Science and Technology Award for acrylic acid manufacturing technology
Started Automobile Catalyst Production
Received the Petroleum Society Technical Advancement Award for secondary alcohol ethoxylate manufacturing technology
Awarded the Minister of Commerce and Industry for Kawasaki Plant 1 as a high-pressure gas quality manufacturing site
Received the Ogauchi Memorial Production Award for secondary alcohol ethoxylate manufacturing technology
Joint venture with Sumitomo Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
Opened a plant in Tennessee, USA, and established the Tsukuba Research Institute
Joint venture with BASF and acquired a new plant site in Oita Prefecture
Lucky Corp. of Korea and Sumitomo Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. formed a joint venture and renamed the company "Nippon Catalyst Co., Ltd."
Joint venture with Toriporita Corporation in Indonesia and Tomon Co., Ltd., and closed the Mita plant
Developed and industrialized a new process for melamid compounds, receiving the Chemical Technology Award from the Japanese Chemical Society
Joint venture with Elf Atokem North America in the United States
Started manufacturing dioxin decomposition catalysts
Absorbed and merged with "Nissho Arrow Chemical Co., Ltd."
Made "ULTRASORB Chemikalien GmbH" a subsidiary
"ULTRASORB Chemikalien GmbH" absorbed "NIPPON SHOKUBAI GmbH", made Indonesia's "PT. Nisshoku Tripolyta Acrylindo" a subsidiary, and renamed it "PT. NIPPON SHOKUBAI INDONESIA"
Acquired the acrylic acid business from Sumitomo Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. (opened a plant in Ehime), transferred the MMA monomer business, and transferred the business of "ULTRASORB Chemikalien GmbH" to "NIPPON SHOKUBAI EUROPE N.V."
Joint venture with Mitsui Takeda Chemical Co., Ltd., and "Daikou Shipping Co., Ltd." renamed "Nissho Logistics Co., Ltd."
Acquired Sumitomo Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.'s Singapore acrylic acid business, obtained "SINGAPORE ACRYLIC PTE LTD" and "SINGAPORE GLACIAL ACRYLIC PTE.LTD.", and opened a Shanghai office
Started manufacturing acrylic resin for optical materials, and simultaneously received the Chemical Society Chemical Technology Award, Chemical Engineering Society Technical Award, and Catalysis Society Technical Division Award for the new ethanolamine manufacturing technology
Established Korean Office, Closed Ehime Factory
Acquisition of shares in Nihon Nyusai Co., Ltd. and SINO-JAPAN CHEMICAL CO., LTD., leading to subsidiary status and opening of a Taipei office
Closed Shanghai Office
Closed Taipei Office
"NIPPON SHOKUBAI (ASIA) PTE.LTD." absorbed "SINGAPORE GLACIAL ACRYLIC PTE. LTD."
Development and industrialization of lactone-containing acrylic polymers for optical films earned the Chemical Society of Japan Chemical Technology Award; commercialization of electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries
Closure of the Suita plant; the area will become a research and development hub
Closed Tsukuba Regional Research Institute
Acquisition of Renase Therapeutics Co., Ltd. as a subsidiary
Completed Middle-Molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Synthesis Facility
Awarded the Chemical Industry Association Technical Award for research on "Development of highly active, highly durable NOx reduction catalysts and elucidation of high-performance expression mechanisms"
Nippon Catalyst will exhibit at booth 823 at TIDES Europe 2026, held in Amsterdam from November 3-5, 2026. We will introduce contract manufacturing services for intermediate‑molecular APIs, polymers for DDS, and DDS technologies for intermediate‑molecular pharmaceuticals. The booth will accept consultations on related services and technologies, and meetings can be scheduled through the official partnering system.
Japan Catalyst has entered into a sponsorship agreement with professional golfer Kana Nagai. Nagai will compete wearing a hat bearing the company's logo. The company supports Nagai as she continues to challenge toward her goals and backs her further success.
Japan Catalyst Inc. has published the TechnoAmenity Report 2026. The report integrates financial information such as management plans and performance with non-financial information such as ESG (environment, social, governance), aiming to promote stakeholder understanding. It can be viewed in the Sustainability Library, and the ESG data collection is also available for reference.
Nippon Shokubai has begun joint validation with PURMX to explore the potential use of nucleic acid therapeutics combining naturally occurring microRNA with Fol-Dab8.
Nippon Catalyst Co., Ltd. will exhibit at BioJapan 2026, held in Yokohama from October 7 to 9, 2026. The exhibition will include contract manufacturing of mid-sized molecular pharmaceuticals, DDS technology, and devices for nanoparticle manufacturing, and group companies will also participate.
Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. donated ¥5 million through the Japanese Red Cross Society to support victims of the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake. The company hopes for a swift recovery and reconstruction in affected areas.
Japan Catalyst's new biodegradable plastic "Lunare®SE-S-01" has obtained certification for biodegradability and marine biodegradability under the JBPA certification system.
Nippon Shokubai developed a thin, flexible organic EL light source "iOLED®" that does not require sealing, and received the Chemistry & Environment Technology Award.
Japan Catalyst Co., Ltd. will exhibit at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Japan Nucleic Acid Medicine Society held in Nagasaki in July 2026, showcasing mid-sized pharmaceuticals and DDS technologies.
Nippon Catalyst Co., Ltd. will exhibit at the BIO International Convention held in San Diego, USA, in June 2026, showcasing its intermediate-sized APIs, biocompatible polymers, and nucleic acid drug delivery system (DDS) technologies.